Wireless connection gradually fades

Any Ideas I am running a Netgear wireless ADSL router with a Desktop (wired) and a Laptop (wireless) since beginning of April. For the first 5 weeks everything was fine. But since then the connection speed to the laptop gradually fades. The distance from the router has not changed nor any other physical condition. I can "repair" the connection back up to 54bps but it gradually goes back down to 1 or 2 bps.

The connection is securely encrypted using a WAP key that is very long.

802.11g networks are in the 2.4ghz band and as such are open to interference from mundane household objects such as cordless phones, microwaves and various bluetooth devices. Personally, I've never seen any one of those intefere with a network (not saying it's not possible, just that I've never experienced it).

The most common reason I've come across is new networks nearby, usually solved by changing the channel on the router.

Another thing to try would be to find out which direction your router's aerial is transmitting in, is it an omni or directional, if it's the latter, point it toward wherever your working.

I forgot to say in my original post.... I did change the channel number on the network in case there were new networks in the area sharing the same channel but it made no difference.

As for the direction of the aerial it is 'omni'. But that would make no differnce. We are not using the laptop in any different places, at any different distances and with no environmental changes (microwave ovens , cordless phones etc) than when we first set the network up.

The mystery continues......the only thing I can think of is that the router is faulty unless anyone can come up with something else.